Author: alanjjohnstone
Explaining Socialism 1/3
World socialism will be a class-free, wageless, democratically-run society where goods are produced to satisfy human needs instead of being sold for profit. The administration of such a society will be decided by its citizens, basing their decisions on the needs of the community, available resources, and technology. Capitalism fails to fulfil the already existing potential…
THE COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH OF THE FUTURE Part 4
World Socialism, What It Is —What It Is Not The World Socialist Movement (WSM) is often criticized for not being “practical ” or for not putting forward any proposals for today. But this is not the point. The WSM does not exist to campaign for petty reforms within the capitalist system. It is the instrument which the…
THE COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH OF THE FUTURE Part 3
That the emancipation of labour is neither a local nor a national, but a social problem, embracing all countries” – IWMA It is scarcely necessary to observe that capitalism is the same everywhere, that like causes produce like results. Wherever capitalism appears, its mission of is the pursuit of profit and exploitation. Socialism is necessary to the emancipation…
THE COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH OF THE FUTURE Part 2
Socialism is a real alternative. We can only “cure the planet” by establishing a society without private productive property or profit where humans will be freed from the uncontrollable economic laws of the pursuit of profit and the accumulation of capital. Only a world socialist society, based on the common ownership and democratic control of…
THE COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH OF THE FUTURE Part 1
The inequality which exists under world capitalism is simply breathtaking, and it is increasing. The world has never been so unequal as it is today. Giant global corporations own and control the world production of goods and services together with the natural resources of the planet. The sole object is to amass greater concentrations of…
Building a New World from the Shell of the Old
Syndicalism In 1906 the main French trade union confederation of the time adopted at its Congress in Amiens a charter which, spreading far beyond France, became the doctrinal basis of a theory of unionism and revolution known as “syndicalism” (this is in fact merely the ordinary French word for trade unionism, so in France this…
Labour-Power and Class Struggle
Members of the World Socialist Movement would accept the following with perhaps a few caveats of their own: We recognise that, under capitalism, workers depend on the wage they get for the sale of their labour-power and that it is in their interest to get the highest possible price for this; collective organisation and action,…
WSM AGAINST THE LEFT
Arguing with left-wingers is not always a useful way for socialists to spend their time,”We’ve got the wrong leadership” is the perpetual cry of the Left. Many political groups think of themselves as “leaders” of the working-class. We do not. We say that workers should spurn these would-be vanguards and organise for socialism democratically, without leaders….
The WSM and the State
The World Socialist Movement (WSM) holds a clear definition of what it would describe socialism to be and it is not to be unexpected that we will not accept certain ideas as socialist if it conflicts. The WSM’s point is that we do share something in common with the Kropotkinists and other communist-anarchists such as Alexander Berkman and Murray…
The Anti-Parliamentary Debate
Anarchists and others tend to argue that all “parliamentary” parties have in the past, and in the present, betrayed the working class; that Parliament is not the real seat of power but a “talking-shop” that the World Socialist Movement (WSM) contests elections, aims at parliamentary majorities and so on; and that therefore will be no different from…